British policy and the Kurdish question in 'Iraq, 1918-1932

After World War I, in common with other minorities in the former Ottoman Empire, the Kurds wished to form their own nation-state, a sentiment which Britain did much to encourage. Yet, Britain also manipulated Kurdish separatist tendencies in ways calculated to strengthen her hold over 'Iraq as a viable and united country and hence did much to prevent the formation of a Kurdish state. This dissertation will investigate why Great Britain pursued this seemingly contradictory policy. It will examine this many-faceted question in the light of newly available archival sources. The thesis is primarily concerned with the local and regional factors which shaped Britain's policy in Kurdistan.;From 1918 to 1923, Britain's Kurdish policy was indecisive, inarticulate and provisional. This was due mainly to rapid developments in the Kurdish regions of 'Iraq, Turkey and Iran. The lack of a peace treaty between Turkey and Britain as a mandatory power in 'Iraq, also contributed to the uncertainty in Britain's policy in 'Iraqi Kurdistan. With the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 Britain's policy in Kurdistan began to develop. This policy aimed at reconciling Kurdish national aspirations with Britain's desire to strengthen Iran, 'Iraq and Turkey in order to prevent Bolshevik Russia's southward advance to the Gulf.